ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

In recent years there has been a dramatic growth in passenger numbers on scheduled and charter transport in all regions of the world. In spite of recent events there is every indication that this strong growth in passenger traffic will be sustained for the foreseeable future thus a computerised manifest information system needs to be developed to carter for the ever increasing numbers of passengers (Edwin, 2000).

The passenger Manifest is an important part of the transportation chain, containing a list of the passengers on a means of transport. Apart from this commercial aspect, the passengers Manifest is also an important document safety control purpose and effectively acts as the first notification to the transporters of the arrival of passengers or the final confirmation that passengers declared for travelling have actually travelled. All manifest information is provided by passengers on board in a paper format. This manual method poses a serious challenge, the approach gives rise to additional costs for the transport company, limits the possible use of the data by the road agencies and puts an additional requirement on the transporters to subsequently ensure that all the passengers listed on the manifest have been properly cleared and screened by the transport company (Crowin, 1997).

It is believed that the introduction of the electronic manifest will be of immense benefits to both the passengers and the transporters.

Transporters and other Airport Control Agencies (Immigration, Police, Quarantine, Health and Safety, Agriculture, etc.) are therefore being faced with a greatly increased workload. In normal conditions shouldering this increased burden would not pose insurmountable problems. However two additional factors have combined with the increase in passenger numbers to make the task of the Airport Control Agencies very difficult indeed. These factors are the increased compliance risk posed by the growth in, for example, trans-national organized crime and the manpower situation within the Airport Control Agencies themselves. While the demands on the Airport Control Agencies continue to grow and the manpower resources within which they must operate tighten, a number of very valuable opportunities have arisen which, if taken advantage of, could allow these Agencies to maintain or even enhance their effectiveness.

1.2     Statement of Problem

The purpose of this research is to computerise the passenger’s manifest information system, to alleviate the poor practices and explores the good ones.

Computerised information of a passenger’s biographic data is useful; it helps to ensure that details of arriving passengers are received in advance of the arrival of the bus, thus allowing the road Control Agencies adequate time to determine their response.

The added value of advance passenger information in its broadest context comes from the ability to access carrier’s information for analysis and research on arriving passengers. The deployment of such a system, incorporating passenger selection criteria developed on the basis of high-quality intelligence, can and do have a very positive effect on enforcement activities.

1.3     Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study is to design a computerise passenger’s manifest information system.

The objectives of the proposed system are:

1.  To develop passenger’s manifest information in an electronic format.

2. To carry out more effective risk analysis on incoming and outgoing passengers.

3.  To allow for flexibility in that it can be updated in a real time format.

1.4     Significance of the Study

This research work will be of an immense significance to organisation embodied with the movement of passengers from one location to another in that, it is aim at developing a model, an effective, reliable computerised method of obtaining passengers manifest information, expected to help in cases of emergency.

It intends to advance the transport sector technology on how to computerise the manifest process. This study will also help provide transporters the first hand information on the how to reach passengers relative immediate once a case is reported.

To other professional bodies and students this research work will serve as a reference material, people in related field, who might conduct research into related field, will find this research work useful.

The recommendation and some suggested solutions to the problems stated would enhance the management of transportation sectors to review some aspect of the systems that may affect them.

1.5     Scope of the Study

Passenger manifest information system is an embracing topic in the determinant of how transportation industry document their information, provide services and responses to emergency based on the number and the nature of passengers on board.  For the purpose of this research work, the researcher shall be limited to passenger’s manifest in the context of an Airplane.

1.6     Definition of terms

Passengers: a person who is traveling from one place to another.

Airplane: a machine that has wings and an engine and that flies through the air.

Manifest: a list of passengers or an invoice of cargo for a vehicle as a ship or plane.

Transport: to carry someone or something from one place to another.

Airport: a place where aircraft land and take off and where there are buildings for passengers to wait in and for aircraft to be sheltered.

Information:knowledge you get about something or someone

System:an organized or established procedure, a group of related parts that move or work together.

Company: a business organization that provides services in exchange for money.

Research: careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something

Transportation: a system for moving passengers or goods from one place to another.

Agency: a government department that is responsible for a particular activity, area etc.